Where does the time go? Another year behind us - wow!
Another chance to start anew! Yes!
This blog will look back on the year and look forward to next year...
Red Dog Solutions - 2013 was our 3rd successful year of operation at the Woodstock Ave., Rutland, VT location. I have grown attached to this training space. Its friendly atmosphere makes up for its shortcomings. I am looking forward to meeting new friends and training with old friends in 2014!
In February James came to live with us. He is such a good boy.
We adore him.
In April we lost our Belle. There are no words and no way
to fill that void. Miss you Red Dog.
In May my friend Kelly and I took a road trip to Indiana to pick up her new puppy, Feather. It was a great trip. Our collies Tawnie and Shane came with us and were fantastic travel companions. Feather is mischievous, smart, and beautiful.
In July Tawnie became a certified therapy dog. She is made for the job. Who would've thought the bedraggled, traumatized dog off the streets would learn to love people so much?
The dogs are a great buffer as well. Its really hard to stay mad at a man who is singing to the dogs...
In October we became the caregivers of a Momma dog and her 4, two week old puppies. We named the scrawny, shy, scared Momma, Kenzie (hoping she might grow into her brave and beautiful NCIS-LA namesake). The pups naturally followed the theme, being named Hetty, Callen, Dekes and Sam. Caring for the family kept us very busy and offered much needed distraction through what turned out to be a very LONG November. The pups were all placed into great homes - Hetty taking the longest, staying with us until she was 12 weeks old and stealing our hearts! 
In November we lost Pogo...my heart...my soul...my inspiration.
Also in November we came very close to losing our baby dog, Mamacita - Three very scary weeks in our lives .
Cita went into acute kidney failure from an unknown cause and then her liver also became challenged. 11 days in the vet hospital and daily visits there after being released, turned our lives into a surreal 'wait and see' world. Currently she is in full recovery - a miracle really.
Pogo's death in the midst of this was a blessing in disguise.
I truly was not sure I would be able to tolerate life without Pogo, but coming so close to losing Cita at 2 yrs of age, put the death of Pogo at 15 1/2 into perspective. Even in death Pogo was still teaching me things.
December brought the holidays and with it our newest family member Cici! Our nephew Josh married this beautiful woman in July (my sis in law, Brenda, Brian and I drove to SC for the wedding) and they came to VT for the holidays. She's definitely a keeper Josh...
she makes a mean coquito.
And so that brings us to 2014...
My goals:
1. Get Kenzie healthy (physically and mentally).
2. KEEP Mamacita healthy.
3. Teach Tawnie to BOW on verbal cue only.
4. Create a fun trick routine with Cubby and Lupie.
5. Train a whistle recall for Tucker or convince Brian to do so!
6. Be kind whenever possible and remain mute when impossible.
7. Train Tawnie the Level 3 Rally exercises.
8. Develope Cita's amazing agility potential.
9. Be the best wife, daughter, sister, friend, trainer, teacher...person... I can be.
10. Exercise (my dogs and myself) as much as I can.
11. Eat more vegetables.
12. Drink less, but enjoy it more.
13. Spend less time on Facebook.
14. Finish my novel.
15. Forgive myself when I fall short of these goals, but keep trying!
